meadowlarklogs | (no subject)

[ the mention of Thor makes him want to get up, and Sniper's added comment makes him want to follow it through and leave. there's a dull look that's cast toward the door as he debates it, not entirely sold on staying. he hasn't done nearly enough running away lately.

he doesn't comment on Thor. ]

You're assuming to fit your agenda.

[ he brings the drink up to his lips—Odin's beard, he needs a drink. ]

You think Ball's wrong about a god being involved?

[It makes perfect sense to Sniper, but of course that's why they suspected divine involvement from the start. ]

[ the drink sets down on the table. ]

No, but I doubt that the situation is so straight-forward in its simplicity. There are mortal hands in this.

[ he's certain of that, as well. ]

Edited 2019-08-02 21:26 (UTC)

[Sniper makes a vague gesture—the details aren't important, right now. Their own drink has been precisely reduced by one third. Sniper doesn't care about getting drunk to avoid it or seek it out. Another reason they need an office.]

What do you think about the god? I don't suppose it's tried to talk to you, has it?

[ hm.

Diana had asked him the same thing. ]

No, but that's assuming it can. Not all gods in all realities follow the same rules. We're at a lack for those may mean right now.

[ a pause. ]

Does it bother you, even if it's of an unknown nature?

The god can communicate somehow. [Sniper gestures to their chest, the center of the blue glow.] The way our powers develop, it knows about us.

[Sniper's power was a tool calibrated with precision to suit Sniper's needs and methods, as familiar and comfortable as their own sword. This god had no right to that kind of intimacy with them, and Sniper was coldly conscious of how much evidence they had seen of god and god-adjacent beings changing the people around to suit them, without even meaning to. Bridger had morphed a toy soldier into the unparalleled Achilles. This god had changed the androids into humans. What else could it change, and leave Sniper with no knowledge of the difference?

Sniper gives Loki a frank look.]

It stole me from my world and is doing weird things to my body. Of course it bothers me. It doesn't bother you?

[ there's a lift of Loki's chest as he sighs. ]

You sound so sure of so many things without a lick of even ... ontological evidence. [ it's less combative and more straight-forward. ] Are we certain it's the divine that stole us away? I've found other means of moving between realities. No god needed!

[ there's a tilt of his head. ]

Some gods may only have power in the reality in that which they hail, their source of power within that world. We could've been brought here by something else before we were touched, so to speak. [ a pause, a drink. there's a tired wave of his fingers. ] Our powers could be a message—but of what? I lack ability more than I've gained. That seems like a loophole.

As someone who is at the crux of continuous pointy fingers, whether or not I did it, there should be a better case before we run ourselves into a corner with assumptions. First, we need these gate dealies.

[ his nails thrum. ]

You mean like whoever stole us injected us with god juice? That still leaves the question of how they took us, and divine power's still the most likely candidate. Not to mention why they'd do that to us and not themselves. I know you like to be vague but if you thought the other means were a serious candidate, you would have said something by now.

[Or not. Nothing worked right in this world, the people especially.]

I don't know what our powers mean. [But as they say it, something occurs to them. About Jehovah, of course, who claimed to be a god from another universe brought to Sniper's own in order to converse with whatever god presided. Jehovah had been given immense political power by his ba'pas to make up for the loss of his omnipotenence—that was the story, anyway.

And then there was Bridger, the child for whom changing reality was only a matter of thought]

Maybe it's just normal for gods to express power. Or maybe it's an apology.

I'm not being vague. [ Loki corrects wryly, then drinks. ] I'm being pragmatic.

[ there's a tug of a frown on his lips as he rests his chin on his wrist, and his elbow on the tabletop. ]

The drugs were not divine. The vans were not divine. That nurse that died certainly wasn't divine. If you ask me, I'd say that the divine is being used as a tool. Just because the ability may lean you into that assumption doesn't mean that we're part of some divine plan. What may be god to them may not be god at all—the use of this power? It's sloppy.

[ it didn't feel godly—especially not to him. it felt like godly power being wielded, but from what he can tell, he isn't certain of how. mortals had a knack for getting themselves into trouble, for yearning for power that they could not have without debating the consequence. ]

And the rest of it seems more mortal than not. Everything comes with a price, and I doubt that it was thought out.

[ dark lashes fall over bright eyes. ]

As much as you want to blame a god.

Obviously it's not just the god, but that doesn't mean it's totally passive in all this, whatever it is. The thing in us that can do stuff that would normally only be attributed to a divine power. I don't care what you call it.

[Sniper takes a drink. Talking to Loki always puts them in a bad mood. That could be for a lot of reasons, so Sniper doesn't really bother to examine it.]

None of that's the reason I wanted to talk to you, anyway.

[ always finding new ways to point the finger. ]

Ah, then what exactly did you want to talk to me about? Do I need a fresh drink for it? A blade? Perhaps some explosives?

[The corner of their mouth quirks slightly. At least Loki could be relied upon to be interested in a good time.]

I'll leave the means up to you. I need something really good on your bosses. I'm going to put the underdog in charge of the city.

[ look, he gets bored. usually he's bored, when he's not bored, there's generally something nevarious going on. right now he's ordering another drink. ]

You'll need to be more specific—what do you mean really good, and just how does this gear fit into the greater scheme?

Something they can't bounce back from if it gets out. That good. [A tall order, for an organization that had been the seat of power for so long.]

This is it for the scheme right now; I just to shake things up and see what happens. [Which is even true. Sniper wants a close connection to Durcell because they think it will give them a line on what the people in space are up to. And they want to see how the corporations jump. They don't have enough insider information to plan for much beyond that.] I thought you were in to that sort of thing.

[ a very tall order, and one that seems like, well—a favor. ]

Oh, I am, but I've got my own ambitions. [ everyone's thinking it, he may as well just say it. Loki's bright eyes drift across Sniper. ] And I'm generally more amiable if I know that they don't cross.

Somehow I doubt shake it up is at the core of yours. Call it a hunch.

[ but he's amused. ]

I can't tell exactly what's going to happen in the future. Besides giving me way better access to information—Tensions keep rising between the colonies and Earth. This will give us a direct connection to space if we need it.

[ Loki doesn't look entirely sold. ]

For what?

Information, escape, manufacturing. Take your pick. If conflict breaks out, we need to be in a position to pick a side.

[ there's a twist of his wrist. ]

More so—what are you going to do with this dirty dirt on one of my bosses? Specifics!

Edited 2019-09-09 00:42 (UTC)

I'm not going to do anything but hand it over to my boss, and whether they want to release it or use it for black mail really comes down to what the information is.

Look, if you don't want to risk your neck, whatever, I'll find something else. I came to you because you talk a big game about change, so I thought you'd be in to doing something about the crusty political system in this city.

I'm all for shaking the status quo, but if I'm going to risk my position I'd like some clarity, at least in the scheme. You seem to have a broad idea of what you want, but not the connections.

[ there's a tilt of his head.

there's a lot at stake there for a maybe. ]

It's not as if I don't have my own plans in motion for the same.

Edited 2019-09-09 01:02 (UTC)

Sorry, I'm not running the show, I'm just a lackey at this point. You'll just have to trust me.

So how are you going to stop them from slotting in another governor of their choice?

[ there's something in those words that surprises him, and he pauses just before he takes another sip. ]

Wait—this isn't your plan?

[ before they get into anything else. ]

I didn't pin you as the type to do anyone's bidding.

[Sniper cocks their head, an obscure smile lighting their features.]

It's not like I'm some loose canon. I'm working for the campaign. I'm good, but not good enough to walk in off the street and have an experienced politician trust me just like that. Right now I'm doing what I'm told so they know I'm good for it. I haven't decided if I'm doing extra yet.

[That would depend on how all the pieces fell in to place, but the timeline was tight as it was.]

So, I'd be doing this for you to gain leverage.

[ a pause, a curious tilt of his head. ]

Why not do it myself?

Edited 2019-09-26 00:10 (UTC)

Do you want to? Politics is a lot of work. And risky to be directly involved.